major paint problems on car- need suggestions

[vintage_Car]

MP&C...I know you have heard it lots on this forum and others...but holy **** that fabrication work is just outstanding! I spent the evening reading your various project threads and just in awe of that skill. well back to the task at hand... opened up the driver quarter...needs lots more than anticipated...imagine that!!!!
ordered full quarter skin and outer wheelhouse tonight. stared at the drip rail again and shook my head. I'm going upstairs...

 

[vintage_Car]

so.... I don't have access behind the quarter panel it is around the inner fender well area. the only way to gain access would be to cut out a section in the inner fender well.

I welded without planishing the area. I guess I did not wait long enough because the weld pulled in decent area on the panel I was welding, maybe the size of an orange. Do I use a dent puller, or cut out the inner fender well and beat the concave area back out? chances of this oil canning?

 

[K13]

so.... I don't have access behind the quarter panel it is around the inner fender well area. the only way to gain access would be to cut out a section in the inner fender well.

I welded without planishing the area. I guess I did not wait long enough because the weld pulled in decent area on the panel I was welding, maybe the size of an orange. Do I use a dent puller, or cut out the inner fender well and beat the concave area back out? chances of this oil canning?

The weld needs to be stretched as it is what shrunk. Hammer on dolly. Stretching the other parts of the panel would only add to the issues.

Not sure if it was mentioned or not but given the other issues with this car there is no way I would apply another paint job over top of any of the existing paint regardless of how good it looks. There is no way of knowing if the original builder cut corners (he probably did) that will come back and bite you in the *** later on. Strip the entire car down to bare metal and start from scratch.

 

[MP&C]

The weld needs to be stretched as it is what shrunk. Hammer on dolly. Stretching the other parts of the panel would only add to the issues.

Not sure if it was mentioned or not but given the other issues with this car there is no way I would apply another paint job over top of any of the existing paint regardless of how good it looks. There is no way of knowing if the original builder cut corners (he probably did) that will come back and bite you in the *** later on. Strip the entire car down to bare metal and start from scratch.

+1

so.... I don't have access behind the quarter panel it is around the inner fender well area. the only way to gain access would be to cut out a section in the inner fender well.

I welded without planishing the area. I guess I did not wait long enough because the weld pulled in decent area on the panel I was welding, maybe the size of an orange. Do I use a dent puller, or cut out the inner fender well and beat the concave area back out? chances of this oil canning?

I'd suggest to go back and read the "welding in patch panels" thread, this is covered, and you'll likely pick up some other useful tidbits that may help out..

Your quarter panel, as well as MOST automotive panels, has a slight outward crown. Looking at your panel in a section view, right along where you cut the new panel in, that closely resembles the shape of an arc based on the panel's crown. Now, when you introduce a weld without planishing, that weld will shrink. The arc shape along the weld as the weld shrinks will lose it's arc and move towards forming a straight line. This is why in most cases of not planishing, the panel along the weld pulls inward, forming a valley. You fix it by planishing.

Part of the process of deciding where to place your weld seam includes insuring you have access from the back side for planishing out the weld. As an option, you could use oddball shaped dollys that can be used in crevises, or remove that inner panel (the outer wheelhouse) and install it once the quarter panel has been finished. Chances of anything oil canning are always a concern. The first step is realizing what the metal is doing and what you do to fix it.

 

[vintage_Car]

K13 and MP&C thank you again- yes the car is going to bare metal to show any and all issues. As it stands now- most is looking good. I am pulling out the rear quarter window and regulator to gain access to the quarter panel that has shrunk to do the hammer and dolly work. The welds on the front of the panel have been ground down till almost flush. I knew this panel would be my time killer...

If it does oil can...what do I need to do to fix that? Shrinking hammer on dolly?

 

[K13]

Oilcanning can be the result of both shrunk or stretched metal so there is no definitive answer. When you stretch out the weld do it slowly so that you don't over stretch the area and have to shrink it back down. I find the best tool for shrinking is a shrinking disk as it does it in a very controllable manner.